Wall-mounted high-voltage take-off structure



Aug. 29, 1961 R. A. WlTHROW WALL-MOUNTED HIGH-VOLTAGE TAKE-OFF STRUCTUREFiled Oct. 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR. PAI fH A. W/THROWHTTORNEYS Aug. 29, 1961 R. A. WlTHROW 2,998,473

WALL-MOUNTED HIGH-VOLTAGE TAKE-OFF STRUCTURE Filed Oct. s. 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. H6. 3.

IP/IL PH ,4. W/THROW United States Patent 9 "cc 2,998,473 WALL-MOUNTEDHIGH-VOLTAGE TAKE-OFF STRUCTURE Ralph A. Withrow, Denver, Colo.,assignor to Steams- Roger Manufacturing Company, Denver, Colo adorporation of Colorado Filed Oct. 5, 1959, Ser. No. 844,503 8 Claims.(Cl. 174-43) This invention relates to power line supports and, morespecifically, to an improved high-voltage take-off structure of a typeparticularly suited for use in conjunction with large transformerinstallations.

The conventional power take-off structures used in power plants,substations and the like for tapping onto the high-voltage transformersleave much to be desired in terms of static protection, cost, adequatesupport and uncluttered appearance. For example, most of thesestructures include a pair of latticed box columns fabricated fromstructural steel and located adjacent the main power plant transformeron heavy concrete footings and piers to which they are attached bysuitable anchor bolts. The actual power take-off elements of theassembly are connected between these towers and the building at theelevation required to accommodate the high voltage leads entering theplant or substation. Also, in most instances, these towers are attachedto the ends of the crane beam that support the crane rail of the plantgantry crane. At the top of these columns or towers, extension rods arecustomarily provided to which are attached the static arrestor lines,the purpose of which is to protect the main transformer lines fromlightning or other static interferences.

Installations of this type have been found to be quite expensive toinstall from the standpoints of both labor costs and materials. Thetowers or columns must, of necessity, be located quite close to the maintransformer and, when so positioned, they interfere with propermaintenance and repair of the unit. Also, for adequate protection of themain transformer against lightning and the like, it is of utmostimportance that the static arrestor lines be located above the mainpower lines in a position displaced less than 45 from the vertical; yet,such a relation is often times quite diflicnlt to achieve withground-supported towers closely adjacent the transformer base. As aresult, proper protection from static interferences is sometimessacrificed or at least can be considered only marginal.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention toprovide a novel and improved power take-off structure for high-voltagetransformer installations.

A second objective is the provision of an assembly of the classdescribed which is considerably less expensive as it costs approximatelyone-third that of a conventional installation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a highvoltage take-offstructure that leaves the transformer completely free of obstructionsfor purposes of maintenance and repair.

Still another objective is the provision of a wallmounted take-offstructure that is ideally suited for use in supporting static-arrestorlines in position to afford optimum lightning protection to the mainpower lines.

Additional objects of the claimed invention are to provide ahigh-voltage power take-off structure that is rugged, weather-resistant,simple to install, versatile, decorative in appearance and adaptable foruse with most of the transformer installations found in power plants andsubstations.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed outspecifically hereinafter in connection with the description of thedrawings that follows, and in which:

Patented Aug. 29, 1961 FIGURE 1 is a side elevation, partly in section,showing the high-voltage power take-off assembly of the presentinvention attached in place on a building wall and connected to the mainplant transformer;

FIGURE 2 is a section taken along line 22 of FIG- URE 1, certainportions having been broken away to better show the construction; and,

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation with certain portions shown broken away toconserve space.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGURE 1 thereof, itwill be seen that the high-Voltage power take-off structure of thepresent invention has been indicated in a general way by numeral 10 andis of a wall-mounted type being supported by a pair of horizontal steelgirders 12 and 14 that comprise a part of the building wall 16 in apower plant, substation or other transformer installation. A pair ofgenerally S-shaped uprights 18 formed of structural steel or aluminumhave their inturned lower ends 20 welded or otherwise permanentlyattached to the lower of the horizontal building beams or girders 14 intransversely spaced substantially parallel relation to one another. Themedial section 22 of the uprights, in the particular form shown, issubstantially straight and angles upwardly and outwardly relative to thebuilding wall from its inturned lower end 20. Medial section 22 of theuprights is of a length substantially greater than the vertical spacingbetween the building girders 12 and 14. Thus, the brace or strut 24 thatis used to attach the upright to the upper girder 12 is connectedintermediate the ends of the medial section 22 as shown. Strut 24 isalso welded or otherwise permanently attached to both the girder andupright in a manner to support the medial section of the latter in fixedspaced relation to the building wall. It should be mentioned that strut24 in some power plant installations could be a projecting end of alonger beam passing through the building wall such as, for example, acrane beam of the type used to support the crane rail of a gantry craneor the like used inside the plant. In this instance, girder 12 wouldprobably not be used as support for the uprights.

The upper outturned end 26 of the uprights 18 is located some distanceabove the point of connection with strut 24 and it terminates in aconnector 28 of a type adapted to receive the insulated end 30 of staticarrestor line 32. These static arrestor lines, of course, are usuallyconsiderably shorter and under much less tension than the main powerlines 34 and, therefore, can be adequately supported at the free upperend of the up rights 18 rather than adjacent the brace 24. Also, byplacing the static arrestor leads at the upper terminus of the uprights,they occupy a most favorable position to shield the main power lines aswill be explained presently in connection with the detailed descriptionof FIGURE 3.

Now, with reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, it will be noted that theuprights 18 are interconnected at a point intermediate the upper andlower ends thereof by a transversely extending beam-type subframeassembly that has been broadly identified by numeral 36 and which ispreferably located closely adjacent braces 24 to provide for maximumstructural strength. This subframe assembly 36, in the particular formshown, is of the latticed or truss-type designed to reduce the weightwithout sacrificing the necessary rigidity and other load-resistantcharacteristics. As illustrated, assembly 36 includes an aluminum orsteel channel 38 fixedly attached to the front face of the uprights bybolts 40 and a pair of angle iron stiffeners 42 extending along the rearface of the uprights opposite the channel to which they are attached bya lattice work of cross braces 44. Of course, the particularconstruction of beam assembly 36 is of little significance apart fromproviding the required structural 3 strength dictated by soundengineering practice. Angle braces 46 have also been indicated asinterconnecting struts 24 and girder 12 to prevent lateral shifting ofthe uprights and beam assembly. Hook-type connectors 48 are Welded tothe channel elements of the beam assembly at selected points thereon foruse in attaching the insulator 50 and associated stub cable 52 that aresecured to the main high voltage line 34 and provide means forconnecting same to the supporting structure. A stub lead 54 is used toelectrically interconnect the main line 34 with one of the contacts orposts 56 of the high-voltage transformer 58.

Finally, an examination of FIGURE 3 will reveal that the uprights 18 arespaced apart a distance substantially less than twice the height of thestatic arrestor lines 32 above the beam assembly 36. Another way ofexpressing the same relationship is that lines drawn from the point ofconnection of the static arrestor lines with the outturned ends 26 ofthe uprights that form an included angle of 45 with the latter willintersect one another as indicated at a point spaced above the beamassembly. These lines extending downwardly on both sides of the uprightsat angles of 45 thereto define a tent-line zone beneath the staticarrestor lines 32 wherein the main lines 34 are protected from lightningand other static electrical disturbances. Therefore, by connecting oneof the main lines to a hook connector on the beam assembly locatedbetween the uprights and two additional main lines to connectorspositioned adjacent the ends of the beam assembly outboard or beyond theadjacent upright a distance substantially less than the height of thestatic arrestor lines above said beam assembly, all three of the mainlines will be adequately shielded within the protection zone.

Having thus described the several useful and novel features of thehigh-voltage power take-oil structure of the present invention, it willbecome apparent that the many worthwhile objectives for which it wasdesigned have been achieved. Although but a single specific embodimentof the invention has been illustrated and described in connection withthe accompanying drawings, 1 fully realize that certain changes andmodifications therein may well occur to those skilled in the art withinthe broad teaching hereof; hence, it is my intention that the scope ofprotection afforded hereby shall be limited only insofar as saidlimitations are expressly set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A wall-mounted power take-oft structure for use 'with high-voltagetransformer installations and the like which comprises, at least twogenerally S-shaped uprights having an elongate medial sectionterminating at the lower end in an inturned portion and at the upper endin an outturned portion, the inturned portion being adapted forconnection to a horizontally disposed reinforcing element of a buildingwall or the like with the medial section ranging upwardly therefiom,strut means 4 adapted to connect the medial section at a pointintermediate the ends thereof to the building wall at a point spacedabove the horizontal reinforcing element, first connector means carriedby the outturned portion for attaching a static arrestor line to theupright, a transverse beam element interconnecting the uprights at apoint intermediate the ends of the medial section maintaining same infixed spaced substantially parallel relation to one another, and secondconnector means carried by the transverse beam element in position suchthat high-voltage lines attached thereto will be shielded from staticdischarges by the static arrestor lines located thereabove.

2. The power take-off structure as set forth in claim 1 in which theinturned portion of the upright bears an obtuse angular relation to themedial section thereof such that when said inturned portion is attachedto a building wall in substantially normal relation thereto, said medialsection will extend upwardly and outwardly therefrom,

3. The power take-oif structure as set forth in claim 1 in which thetransverse beam element is attached to the medial section of eachupright at a point spaced beneath the outturned portion thereof adistance substantially greater than one-half the space between adjacentuprights.

4. The power take-0E structure as set forth in claim 1 in which each ofthe second connector means is located on the transverse beam elementwithin a 45 angular arc swung from the nearest upright about the firstconnector means carried thereby as a center.

5. The power take-off structure as set forth in claim 4 in which secondconnector means are located on both sides of each upright.

6. The power take-off structure as set forth in claim 1 in which thespace between each of the second connector means and the point ofintersection of the nearest upright with the transverse beam element issubstantially less than the distance from said point of intersection tothe first connector means carried by said upright.

7. The power take-off structure as set forth in claim 6 in which secondconnector means are located on both sides of each upright.

8. The power take-off structure as set forth in claim 1 in which thetransverse beam element is attached to the uprights at a point closelyadjacent the point of connection of the strut means therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,618,683 Fisher Nov. 18, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 107,156 Germany Nov. 30,1899 OTHER REFERENCES Catalogue No. 4, 1923, Rugged Insulators by theJeffery-Dewitt Insulator Co., Kenova, W. Va.

